the climate, and the sort of trees, it is necessary first to cut them
down. This is a heavy drawback to the prosperity of Chiloe. In the
time of the Spaniards the Indians could not hold land; and a family,
after having cleared a piece of ground, might be driven away, and the
property seized by the government. The Chilian authorities are now
performing an act of justice by making retribution to these poor
Indians, giving to each man, according to his grade of life, a certain
portion of land. The value of uncleared ground is very little. The
government gave Mr. Douglas (the present surveyor, who informed me of
these circumstances) eight and a half square miles of forest near S.
Carlos, in lieu of a debt; and this he sold for 350 dollars, or about
70 pounds sterling.
The two succeeding days were fine, and at night we reached the island
of Quinchao. This neighbourhood is the most cultivated part of the
Archipelago; for a broad strip of land on the coast of the main island,
as well as on many of the smaller adjoining ones, is almost completely
cleared. Some of the farm-houses seemed very comfortable. I was
curious to ascertain how rich any of these people might be, but Mr.
Douglas says that no one can be considered as possessing a regular
income. One of the richest landowners might possibly accumulate, in a
long industrious life, as much as 1000 pounds sterling; but should this
happen, it would all be stowed away in some secret corner, for it is
the custom of almost every family to have a jar or treasure-chest
buried in the ground.
November 30th.--Early on Sunday morning we reached Castro, the ancient
capital of Chiloe, but now a most forlorn and deserted place. The usual
quadrangular arrangement of Spanish towns could be traced, but the
streets and plaza were coated with fine green turf, on which sheep were
browsing. The church, which stands in the middle, is entirely built of
plank, and has a picturesque and venerable appearance. The poverty of
the place may be conceived from the fact, that although containing some
hundreds of inhabitants, one of our party was unable anywhere to
purchase either a pound of sugar or an ordinary knife. No individual
possessed either a watch or a clock; and an old man, who was supposed
to have a good idea of time, was employed to strike the church bell by
guess. The arrival of our boats was a rare event in this quiet retired
corner of the world; and nearly all the inhabitants came down to the
beach to see us pitch our tents. They were very civil, and offered us
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